A wide variety of series terminals or series-capable connection terminals have become known in prior art. For example, in the field of power supply companies, series-capable test and disconnect terminals have become known, using which a full and reliable break in the circuits can be assured. Normally, rocker switches or lockable slide switches, which prevent an automatic restoration of a broken electrical circuit, are used to break circuits. Such test and disconnect terminals must reliably break the electrical circuit such that there is no danger to life or limb of the test technician during testing or maintenance. For this reason, there are specific regulations for test and disconnect terminals of this type used in the power supply sector.
Test disconnect terminals known from prior art normally have a longitudinal isolating switch, which is pivotally received in a self-retaining manner in both final positions. Using such a longitudinal isolating switch, longitudinal disconnection as well as transverse disconnection is assured, which is required for applications in the power supply sector. Moreover, in order to increase their functional diversity, known test disconnect terminals have three connecting shafts on each side of the longitudinal isolating switch, into which cross bridges or similar can be inserted, in order to short-circuit adjacent connecting shafts or to set them to the same potential.
Although test disconnect terminals of this type have proven to be effective in prior art, they do give rise to relatively high costs and in particular require a large installation space, which is not always available in mechanical engineering and industrial usage.